The “commencement” certificates awarded last month to 26 Chinese aviation officials at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University mark more than the two-week training program they had just completed at the university’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus. They are emblems of a growing multi-year relationship between Embry-Riddle and the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which represents an industry that has graduated to the world’s center stage.
Since 2006, faculty experts from the university’s College of Aviation and College of Business have been teaching workshops and short courses to groups of top- and mid-level administrators from China’s governmental agencies and aviation businesses.
“We feel a special kinship with our Chinese friends,” said Tim Brady, dean of the College of Aviation. “The professional short-course programs we offer give us the opportunity to learn as much from them as they do from us.”
“The College of Business is honored to be a part of this developing relationship with China,” said Daniel Petree, dean of the college. “We are delighted to join with our colleagues representing such an important economic powerhouse to share best practices in an open and mutually beneficial format.”
Delegates in the most recent group, which visited from Dec. 3-17, learned about current practices in managing aviation routes and schedules. In addition to time in the classroom, their visit included field trips to JetBlue Airline near Orlando International Airport, Daytona Beach International Airport, the NextGen Test Facility at the Daytona Beach airport, and the FAA’s Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center.
They were the latest beneficiaries of a $3 billion push by China to bring its aviation professionals up to speed with the rapid expansion of air transportation there. Those affected range from governmental administrators to directors of airports, airlines, and cargo carriers.
“Chinese aviation is the fastest growing in the world, with about 50 airports under construction or being planned,” said Randy Triplett, an assistant professor of air traffic management at the university.
Embry-Riddle began the training program four years ago, offering courses in air traffic management, airline and airport management, aviation environmental issues, development of airport capacity, and security.
Triplett, who coordinated Embry-Riddle’s training effort for the first several years, says other organizations are also involved, including Boeing, the FAA, U.S. airlines, Rolls-Royce, and MITRE Corp., each hoping to gain something from the exchange.
“Everybody wants a gate in China,” Triplett said.
Embry-Riddle recently won contracts for four additional training programs, each of which will be taught in two-week sessions to a new group of 25-30 visitors from China. Topics to be covered include executive strategic planning, management development, management of safety surveillance, and supervision of air transport markets. The program runs from Jan. 17 through March 18.
For more information: 386-226-6928 or ERAU.edu/case
